CityLife Magazine Second Quarter 2020

CityLife FEATURE
Purpose built solution relieves housing
shortage for vulnerable members
of community
Access Community Housing is taking
pressure off crisis accommodation in
Cairns with the official opening of its
first, purpose-built residential project
comprising 10, one and two-bedroom
units.
Access Community Housing CEO
Donna-Maree O’Connor said women and
children who have survived domestic and
family violence will be the residents of this
new and affordable housing complex in
Mooroobool.
According to Ms O’Connor, the $2.4
million complex is a first for Access
Community Housing and has been built
by MiHaven over the past 12 months
using a $990,000 grant from the Federal
Government’s Building Better Regions
Fund along with State Government
reserve funds (held by Access Community
Housing).
Federal Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch
said this was a much-needed development.
“Focusing on women who are escaping
domestic and family violence and the
growing group of single homeless women,
this complex will provide much needed
safe, secure accommodation for these
women and their children,” he said.
In recognising recent milestone, Ms
O’Connor said that they are immensely
proud of the building which is the first
social housing complex fitted with a solar
power system.
“Each unit has a capacity equivalent to a
medium-sized home ensuring low or no
energy bills for our residents,” she said.
The complex has security systems and
CCTV installed.
“There is a distinct shortage of affordable
housing in Cairns and with over 2000
people on the waiting list for social
housing, women and children escaping
domestic and family violence often have
few housing options available to them.
“We are thrilled to be working
with support services
in Cairns to offer safe and
secure housing options,
and with the added benefit
of low-cost energy,”
she said.
Established in 1991, Access Community
Housing Company (ACHC) is the largest
community housing provider in Far North
Queensland, approved under the National
Regulatory Systems (NRS). Its aim is
to improve people’s lives through the
provision of housing to individuals and
families approved on the Department of
Housing and Public Works (DHPW)
_Register of Need_.
Access Community Housing is
committed in its aim to address Far North
Queensland’s housing shortage. Its highly
skilled and professional team currently
manage a portfolio of approximately 600
properties from Babinda in the south to
Mossman in the north (providing homes
for approximately 1250 people) and work
closely with local support services to
sustain tenancies.
For more, visit www.achc.org.au
CityLife 38
Magazine